NCAA Football Conference Usa

Every Monday during college football's endless offseason, The FanHouse Walk will put last week's stories to bed and deliver the essentials to bridge that agonizing space between now and September.

You Can't Be Bad All of the Time -- First-year Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin has built up a tremendous amount of antagonism this offseason. There's nobody to blame but himself, of course, but sometimes you have to give the Devil his due. For all his transgressions, try not to read too much into the story that Tennessee has been witness to 11 player departures. Wherever possible in college athletics, you want to look out for the best interest of the athletes but healthy, successful coaching transitions at big-time football programs almost require a good dose of roster turnover. Whether he's handled it right is up for debate but the raw numbers themselves should not be an indictment of Kiffin.

Every Monday during college football's endless offseason, The FanHouse Walk will put last week's stories to bed and deliver the essentials to bridge that agonizing space between now and September.

Was He Even Alive Then? -- Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin dove back to the pre-disco era in describing his football team after a recent scrimmage. "I feel like we're in the '60s right now with our offense. We've got to run the ball and throw play-action right now. That's about all we can do. It's pretty scary right now."

Mercifully football has moved beyond '60s era mundanity, but Tennessee fans might welcome '60s results as the Vols snagged two SEC championships over the decade.

The most intriguing pro prospect in college football, Rice's James Casey, has declared for the NFL draft. And if you've never heard of Casey and you're not sure why he's the nation's most intriguing pro prospect, let us count the ways:

1. He's 24 years old.
2. He only played two years of college football.
3. He's a ridiculously good all-around athlete, having spent four years as a minor league baseball player and one season as a javelin thrower on Rice's track team.
4. He was so versatile at Rice that he started his first spring practice at safety, then got moved to defensive end, and also lined up at quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, fullback and running back. Oh, and he also played special teams.

And it's that last one that is the most interesting of all, because we really have no idea what position the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Casey will play in the NFL. After setting a Conference USA single-season record for catches with 111 last year, one would assume he'll play wide receiver or tight end, but that's not necessarily the case.

The beginning of the end. It's the time for bittersweet feelings. Finally some college football after a couple weeks of nothingness (no offense to the 1-AA and D-II and D-III playoffs).

At the same time, it is a countdown to the end of it all. When all there can be are obsessing over recruits and signing day, ridiculous speculation about who will be the team to beat in 2009, and spring games. As Lucy Van Pelt would remind us, "Try not to think about it, five cents please."

The bowls kicked off before lunchtime with Wake Forest beating Navy, 29-19. In case you need a reminder (all times Eastern):

New Mexico Bowl, Colorado St. - Fresno St., 2:30 pm, ESPN

magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl, Memphis - South Florida, 4:30 pm, ESPN2

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl, Arizona - BYU, 8 pm, ESPN

We couldn't bring ourselves to spend the entire day liveblogging away. Instead, we will be liveblogging during the Las Vegas Bowl starting around 8 pm. A chance to discuss the game in progress, look back on the other three games and look ahead to games in the coming days.

Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the GMAC Bowl (Mobile, Alabama), which pits Tulsa against Ball State.

Overview/Matchup: If you're Ball State, you are most likely doing your best David Byrne impression and wondering, "How did I get here?" This is not my undefeated season. This is not my BCS bowl. And so on. After Nate Davis and crew coughed up a horrid MAC Championship loss to Buffalo, they crushed any argument they had to go anywhere but Mobile. And waiting for them, in the next to last bowl of the year, is Tulsa, who just lost to East Carolina in the championship game. Third place is the second loser!

Hotels: Already one of the finest hotels in Mobile, the Renaissance Riverview Plaza is almost finished with a US$60 million overhaul that will make it one of the finest hotels in southern Alabama. Bowl travelers will also be happy with the hotel's proximity to the stadium; Ladd-Peebles Stadium is just minutes away.

Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the Liberty Bowl (Memphis, Tennessee), which pits Kentucky against East Carolina.

Overview/Matchup: A strong finish by the East Carolina Purple Pirates -- including a Conference USA championship -- has them headed to a rare post-New Year's bowl game. Skip Holtz -- who already announced he would return to Greenville next year -- has a tough matchup in Kentucky, if only because the Pirates are so dinged up. It would be tougher but Wildcat signal caller Randall Cobb appears to be out for this contest, and that will make a Beale Street victory that much tougher to come by for UK.

Hotels: There isn't much in the way of luxury accommodation near the stadium, so downtown near Beale Street is the next best thing. The five-mile drive to the stadium is well worth it. The Westin Memphis Beale Street is a trendy new downtown establishment with modern design, luxurious guest rooms and good quality on-site dining. The Doubletree Hotel Memphis is a great midrange hotel with a good location. The guestrooms are comparable with the much ritzier Peabody, but at a much more reasonable price. Budget-minded travelers should stay at the Artisan Hotel. The hotel is just two miles from the stadium and offers rooms for less than US$100 per night.

Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the Armed Forces Bowl (Fort Worth, Texas), which pits Houston against Air Force.

Overview/Matchup: A strong performance from the Mountain West this year helped Air Force land in the Armed Forces Bowl (which seems pretty, pretty, pretty convenient) even though they lost their last two games against BYU and TCU, while Houston's 6-2 record was good enough for fourth overall in Conference-USA (yikes) and a spot in nearby Fort Worth.

Hotels: The top hotel in Fort Worth, the Renaissance Worthington Hotel offers a sophisticated atmosphere of polished wood and marble complimented by a courteous staff. The Renaissance is about four miles from the stadium. The Courtyard by Marriott on Riverfront Drive and the Days Inn on S. University Drive are each about a mile from the stadium. The Courtyard offers the best all-around value, balancing proximity to the stadium and quality of the hotel. The Days Inn will probably have rooms for less than US$100 per night, but you shouldn't expect the same quality amenities as the nearby Courtyard.

Restaurants: When it comes to dining in Fort Worth, there's only one place to celebrate a big win (that is assuming, a classy celebration is what you're after); Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House. Del Frisco's is the place to go for a world-class steak, but make sure you budget accordingly. Blue Mesa Grill is a local southwestern chain specializing in blue corn and green chilies. Reasonable prices and good portions make it a local favorite. One location is just north of Texas Christian.

You know, for a program that had announced back in mid-November that they were looking for a new coach, Syracuse has really struggled to find someone, anyone to take the job. First Al Golden would rather stay at Temple than consider the Syracuse gig (though, that may not be entirely true). Now East Carolina's Skip Holtz has apparently rejected the Syracuse overtures.

East Carolina officials will announce later this afternoon that Skip Holtz has declined interest in the Syracuse University head coaching position.

The announcement is expected shortly before Holtz appears in Memphis for the Liberty Bowl press conference.

This is a big blow to Syracuse's coaching search. All signs pointed to Skip Holtz being the top target of Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross. He met with Holtz at least twice in New York City the last couple of days, when Holtz was there for the induction ceremony of his father Lou Holtz to the College Football Hall of Fame. A couple days ago, the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician took note of a curious video running on the Syracuse Athletics website of Lou Holtz singing the praises of his son.

Just not a good thing for the Orange. Whether Holtz was the best choice or not, it seems clear that he was their top choice. Getting rejected on top of the dismal season, and after they had plenty of time to figure out their coaching search just suggests how screwed up Syracuse football is right now.

On the bright side, Auburn hasn't offered their job to Buffalo's Turner Gill yet. The Orange might want to move on that front soon. Of course if they were to be rejected by the head coach of Buffalo as well...

Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the St. Petersburg Bowl (St. Petersburg, Fla.), which pits South Florida against Memphis.

Overview / Matchup: The St. Petersburg Bowl debuts this year as a Conference USA - Big East throwdown of mid-standing proportions, and is on the first day of bowl games thie year. In its inaugural game, Tropicana Field will be hosting a somewhat local team, South Florida. Memphis, meanwhile, beat Tulane in its final game to get bowl eligible, throttling the Green Wave 45-6.

Hotels: The Don CeSar Beach Resort is arguably the best hotel in St. Petersburg and offers excellent on-site dining. The building's flamingo-pink exterior helps it stand out against the blue water and white sand of Pinellas Bayway. Don CeSar's only downside: it's a 15-minute drive from the stadium. The Hilton St Petersburg Bayfront and Days Inn Central are both close enough to the stadium that you won't have to worry about timing. The Hilton is the best all-around value for bowl travelers, balancing accommodation, proximity and price. Budget travelers should head for the Days Inn Central. It's less than two miles from Tropicana Field and has rooms for less than $100 per night.

Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the New Orleans Bowl (New Orleans, Louisiana), which pits Troy against Southern Miss.

Overview / Matchup: Southern Mississippi, Brett Favre's alma mater, will have a short drive to the game; Troy, which won the Sun Belt with a win over Arkansas State in the league's championship game, won't have much further to go from in its campus in southern Alabama. The two teams meet down in the Byaou on Christmas Eve.

Hotels: The stadium is close enough to the center of New Orleans that you could stay anywhere in the French Quarter or central downtown and only be a short cab ride away. The Omni Royal Orleans Hotel features a rooftop pool that's open year round. Even if you're not much of a swimmer, the views are worth a trip topside. The Hilton New Orleans Riverside is located just across from the Harrah's and the Riverwalk Festival Marketplace. It offers the best all around value for bowl travelers. Budget-minded fans should consider the Chateau Dupre French Quarter. The Chateau has nice accommodations for the price and is adjacent to the House of Blues.

Restaurants: Our only advice about visiting New Orleans... eat, eat and eat some more. New Orleans is one of the only cities in America with a truly unique blend of cultures and cuisines you can't find anywhere else in the world. Bon Ton Café serves great Creole food, specifically crab, crawfish, redfish and bread pudding.